By Ronnie Parris
The July heat is here, and although the bank fishing is slowing down, this is the time of year a lot of anglers catch their best numbers of Walleye and Bass. A few changes are in order if you want to come home with a good mess of fish for the table. I like trolling and this is one of the best times for this technique.
I run ten rods, starting at the top column of water where you usually catch trout and several types of bass. I usually run one long line with a Rapala, or other minnow type lure, off the back of the boat. Off either side, I run a planer board with a minnow imitation. For the next level of fish, which are usually from 20 to 50 feet deep, I use Dipsy Divers and Sea Strikers to get my lures to where I’m seeing fish. On these, I run either minnow imitations or trolling spoons. On my two front down riggers, I’m going to be hitting where I see the Walleye suspending, but I run them shallower than the back two down riggers, which will be my deepest walleye sets. On these, I run many different sets from rigs to Rapalas or Trolling Spoons. Always play with different colors because fish preference changes from day to day. Some days, you will get lucky and the Walleye will be in the middle depths at around one hundred feet deep and you can troll without much fear of hang-ups. Other days, you practically have to bump the bottom with your down rigger ball to get the walleye to hit.
Look for wind blown shore lines where the water gets a little color line from the wave action on the clay, this can be a hot spot for hungry Walleye. If you’re not set up with the down riggers, you can still troll using Dipsy Divers and Sea Strikers or simply using a large trolling sinker. The key with both is to use reels with line counters so when you do start catching, you know how much line to put out. Another good technique, is vertical jigging with either ice jigs, spoons, or slow jigging a live bait. The live bait may be the toughest because the heat makes it hard to keep bait alive. Boat control for either of these methods is crucial, so try to keep your lure straight up and down if you want to be able to detect strikes.
Another good place to start looking for fish when it’s hot is where a creek pours in. Water temps may be several degrees cooler in these areas and the fish will congregate there to feed on baitfish. Bottom line…You can’t catch any fish sitting on the couch, so get out there and fish. You may end up with the best mess of fish you catch all year. If you would like to go and you don’t have down riggers or you have bought some and you need some help getting the technique down, give me a call and I will set you up on a trip. My number is 828-488-9711, be sure to mention you saw my ad in The Angler Magazine and I will give you a discount on your trip. Thanks and good fishing.
Ronnie Parris is the Owner and Head Guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited-Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in Bryson City, North Carolina, heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. (www.smokymountainoutdoorsunlimited.com)
